If your primary concern is bypassing the UK age verification, you’re one of millions of unsatisfied British citizens. Virtually every popular website in this country must verify your age. However, this is a result of the Online Safety Act that protects minors from accessing adult content.
Then why must you verify your age on Reddit in the UK? Or 4chan? Apart from obvious adult sites, like Pornhub and YouPorn, Reddit, 4chan, X, and other social media outlets house some sort of adult content. Accessing these pages requires age verification, which many refuse to complete.
We’ll explain how to overcome age checks in the UK and all the nuances regarding this rather disruptive practice. Our trick involves a VPN, which, if you’re unfamiliar, allows the user to bypass website blocks and enjoy free internet. More info in our detailed VPN definition here.
Bypass Website Age Checks in the UK With a VPN
- Subscribe to a VPN service. We recommend NordVPN.
- Set up the VPN on your device.
- Launch the VPN and sign in.
- Connect to a server abroad (in a country without age verification laws).
- Visit the previously inaccessible site, and it’ll work without an age check.
What Is UK Age Verification? The Online Safety Act Explained
In the intro, we implied that the backbone of age verification in the UK is the Online Safety Act.
This act was enacted in mid-2025. Its primary goal was, and still is, protecting children from adult content. It explicitly states that all websites with adult content should verify their visitors’ age. Porn sites were first targeted, and because of that, we have a guide on overcoming porn age checks in the UK.
However, pornography isn’t the only form of mature content.
There’s violence, self-harm, bullying, etc. As we often see those on social media, such as X, Reddit, Discord, and many others, these websites have also implemented age verification to comply with the law. Granted, only the adult “portions” of these platforms require age verification.
But still, it’s there, and it bothers people in the United Kingdom.
Luckily, there’s a way to bypass age verification on websites in the UK. It involves a VPN, which changes a user’s location, making them appear elsewhere. If the user appears in a country without age verification laws, they can overcome all imposed restrictions.
How to Bypass the UK Age Check in 2025: Tutorial
This brings us to the meat and potatoes of the subject.
Our recap above briefly explains that NordVPN is the best pick for this matter. The VPN offers unrestricted bandwidth and servers in over 125 countries. It’s also compatible with all devices and offers robust privacy and security to keep your activities away from prying eyes.
Click above, and you’ll save 70% or more on NordVPN’s cheapest biennial plans. Doing so grants you NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you decide to cancel, you can do so without penalties. If you’re unsure how to use a VPN, a detailed guide on bypassing the UK age check is below, so keep reading.
We’ll assume you followed NordVPN’s steps and subscribed. That should have taken less than five to ten minutes. From here, install NordVPN on your device(s), launch the app, and sign in with an email and password.
Here’s how the dashboard looks.
The countries on the server list are fundamental to bypassing age verification in the UK in 2025. While NordVPN offers UK VPN servers, you want to avoid them. Instead, select another country by clicking on it (it can be Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada…).
NordVPN will instantly connect to a server there, giving you an appropriate IP address.
The screenshot above shows a connection to the Austrian server because this country isn’t subject to the Online Safety Act or any of its foreign “versions.” If you look at the screenshot below, you’ll see that this server unblocks YouPorn, which requires age verification in the UK.
You can also use it to sidestep age checks on Pornhub in the UK, or any other website, if you’re not keen on watching porn.
If needed, we have an article on how to bypass Twitter’s age verification process.
Can I Just Verify My Age Instead?
Why bypass the UK age verification when you can comply and call it a day?
Other people don’t seem content with the solution because of its privacy concerns. Verifying your age means subjecting yourself to one of the following procedures:
- Uploading a government-issued ID, which clearly shows your face and personal information.
- Using a credit card, which displays your private information, such as your age and address.
- Doing a face scan, i.e., taking a selfie, which, again, shows your face.
- Opting for a mobile SIM verification, which checks if the SIM card belongs to an adult.
The last option is probably the least “bad” because it isn’t so privacy-infringing. However, most adult sites in the United Kingdom verify your age using one, two, or all three methods above. Mobile SIM verification is rarely possible.
The three methods above are highly dangerous to your privacy. You don’t know how your data is handled or where it will end up. This especially feels odd when you do this before watching porn. The good news is that it’s a one-time process, but in our book, it doesn’t really matter.
All that matters is that you expose your privacy to data brokers with millions in their pockets. If you don’t care, by all means, verify your age. If you’d rather preserve at least some degree of privacy, VPNs are tremendous help, especially because of their encryption and no-logs policies.
Best VPNs to Sidestep UK Age Verification: Detailed List
Since we emphasized them as the best solutions to overcome age checks in the UK, we must advise a few excellent options. These three VPNs offer all you need to avoid the UK age verification and preserve your privacy when watching porn or using social media platforms.
7492 servers
118 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
10 simultaneous connections
9.8 /10
3000 servers
105 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
8 simultaneous connections
9.4 /10
12000 servers
100 covered countries
45 days money-back guarantee
7 simultaneous connections
9.2 /10
1. NordVPN
Pros
- Verified no-logs policy
- Strong 256-bit encryption
- Dedicated torrenting servers
- Malware protection
- Unrestricted traffic
Cons
- No ad-blocking in the Basic plan
You can’t go wrong with NordVPN as your primary choice to avoid age verification on websites and apps in the UK.
With a robust server fleet, excellent compatibility, and fast servers, NordVPN nails every aspect. Even better, the VPN uses state-of-the-art 256-bit GCM encryption, ensuring every bit of traffic is hidden. A no-log policy put in place guarantees that NordVPN doesn’t store a speck of information on its servers.
We love NordVPN for its advanced security features. For instance, Double VPN servers apply two encryption layers, making you undetectable. Simultaneously, the VPN offers NordWhisper, a protocol that bypasses network filtering and fights censorship effortlessly.
NordVPN is an ideal VPN for Netflix, unblocking over 25 catalogs. It’s also used for P2P when you need additional anonymity when torrenting. The VPN’s Basic plan has all you need, but if you spend more on the Plus plan, you’ll be able to block ads, trackers, and malware often found on adult sites.
NordVPN is an all-around package for sidestepping age verification on all websites with mature content. Given its security and privacy, it can even prevent ISP throttling and excessive monitoring. The VPN costs very little, and the two-year Basic plan, at just above three quid, is the right choice.
2. ExpressVPN
Pros
- DNS leak protection
- Servers in 160+ locations
- Fast Lightway Turbo protocols
- Very easy to use
Cons
- High renewal cost
- Very few advanced features
ExpressVPN offers the same impressive formula. Simple-to-use apps, lots of servers, and unrelenting performance for daily use. The VPN doesn’t skimp on security, as it includes 256-bit encryption, ad-blocking, DNS leak protection, and an automatic kill switch. ExpressVPN doesn’t store any logs.
Like NordVPN, it has multiple security audits to prove that.
ExpressVPN uses the modern Lightway Turbo protocol, ensuring top speeds when streaming, gaming, or casually browsing the web. Meanwhile, its 10 Gbps servers with unlimited traffic help with limitless content consumption. ExpressVPN is compatible with all systems.
This means you can bypass age verification on sites in the UK on your phone, tablet, laptop, and other devices. Eight simultaneous connections are more than sufficient, but if you want more, you can always combine the VPN with a router and get more device protection.
ExpressVPN doesn’t have many advanced features compared to NordVPN. However, it offers more than enough features and performance for the price. Since we touched on it, it’s just a few quid with a 61% discount plus four free months that you can obtain using the button below.
3. CyberGhost
Pros
- Massive server fleet
- Audited for storing no logs
- Cheap biennial plan
Cons
- It’s not the fastest VPN
- No Double VPN feature
CyberGhost is a budget-friendly VPN often used in the UK to circumvent age checks.
As a stellar option, CyberGhost includes all the premium features we love but adds 12,000+ servers in 100 countries. The robust fleet incorporates many NoSpy servers owned by CyberGhost, which you can use to unblock all adult sites in the UK without verifying your age.
CyberGhost is a privacy giant thanks to its Romanian jurisdiction, a no-log policy, and RAM-only servers. Security is beefed up, with IP/DNS leak protection, reliable ad-blocking, and CyberGhost’s 256-bit AES encryption. Like ExpressVPN, it doesn’t offer many advanced features.
However, it lets you purchase affordable dedicated IP addresses and a PC-only antivirus. If not, you can enjoy other perks, such as dedicated streaming and torrenting servers, automatic WiFi protection, and Smart DNS, which aids streaming on non-VPN-compatible devices.
CyberGhost is the cheapest of the bunch, at only $2.2 monthly for the biennial plan. A 45-day refund policy covers all purchases, ensuring a prompt refund if you’re unsatisfied. Read more about it in our CyberGhost review, or click below to snatch the VPN at a discount right away.
Summary
The Online Safety Act is here to stay, and we doubt the government will repeal it soon.
After all, the law protects our most valuable young ones from consuming inappropriate content, and its function is well justified. As an adult, you have every right not to prove your age if you want to access porn sites, scroll through NSFW content on Reddit, or use X.
Using a VPN is the safest way to avoid age check on apps and websites in the United Kingdom in 2025.
NordVPN checks all the boxes, ensuring total privacy, outstanding performance, and ample servers for quick IP changes. We also included ExpressVPN and CyberGhost as no-less-impressive picks that will enthrall you with their overall qualities. Pick one and get rid of UK age checks in minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is avoiding age verification in the UK legal?
The UK Online Safety Act doesn’t state that you shouldn’t use VPNs to avoid age verification. However, if you’re underage, using a VPN for this purpose is technically illegal. As an underage person, you’re not supposed to watch pornography or see and use NSFW content. But what about adults?
If you’re an adult, it’s impossible to break the law, even if you avoid the age check. If you’re caught, which will never happen, the authorities can check your age on your ID and see that you’re an adult. Either way, you can legally use a VPN to avoid online age checks in the United Kingdom.
Which websites are affected by age checks?
All adult websites and platforms with mature content.
Think about every porn website. Each porn site operable in the UK has implemented age verification, such as Pornhub, RedTube, YouPorn, LiveJasmin, Chaturbate, XNXX, and more.
There are also social media and dating apps, such as X, Reddit, Bumble, OnlyFans, Grindr, Tinder, and others. Telegram, a messaging app, also implemented age verification for people in the UK, but that can be bypassed with a VPN (here are the best VPNs to use with Telegram).
Have other countries implemented this or similar laws?
Yes, they have, although they’re not necessarily European countries.
France has recently implemented its version of the law, requiring age verification on porn sites. However, unlike Brits, the French aren’t required to verify their age on social media platforms.
The USA has implemented a similar law that mostly affects porn sites. Nearly all states now require age verification on porn sites. Some sites, like Pornhub, outright won’t work because they haven’t implemented age checks. Whatever the country, a VPN remedies all content blocks.
